Tape cutoff mechanism



OL 28, 1969 I 7 MQRSE ET AL 3,474,696

TAPE CUTOFF MECHANISM Filed Aug. 23, 1967 JOHN E. MORSE NORMAN J. ROSENBURGH INVENTORS FIG.4 &

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,474,696 TAPE CUTOFF MECHANISM John E. Morse and Norman J. Rosenburgh, Rochester,

N.Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 23, 1967, Ser. No. 662,687 Int. Cl. B23d /08 U.S. Cl. 83585 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A severing device comprising a pair of cooperating blades, one of which is pivotally mounted for scissorslike movement toward the other, in traveling point contact toward the pivot. A spring operatively associated with the open end of the blades closes the blades upon release of a latch engaging a catch at the other end and pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the knife axis and responsive to movement of the tape-roll support as when H tape is stripped from the roll. A cocking lever is provided for selectively moving the pivotally-mounted blade to a cocked position where it is held by a spring-biased release latch which engages the catch. The device is particularly useful for severing a crimped or folded web or tape which may be pressure sensitive.

Cross-references to related applications Background of the invention The invention is in the field of cutting devices wherein the cutting tool is constantly driven toward the cutting position by spring means and is adapted to oscillate or pivot about an axis, the stored energy within the spring furnishing the cutting force. In addition, means is provided for resetting the knife after use. The prior art discloses cutting devices which are pivoted about an axis and held in a cocked position against the force of a spring or other energy-storing means which provides the force for driving the knife when it is released from the catch. In addition, many such knives provide means for cocking them. However, in most instances these mechanisms for holding the knives in cocked position or for recocking them are quite complex and involve many movable parts. Also, they are not'specifically designed for cutting folded or crimped tape. In addition, the blades usually diverge outwardly when in cocked position, taking up considerable space.

Summary of the invention This invention is characteried by a tape cutoff mechanism or severing device especially adapted for cutting a crimped or folded tape or strip which is fed between a stationary knife blade and a laterally offset knife blade pivoted intermediate its ends with a spring attached to one end for urging it toward a cutting position for trav- 3,474,696 Patented Oct. 28, 1969 eling point contact toward the pivot axis and a catch formed at the opposite end which is engaged by a pivoted catch to hold the knife in cocked position. Conveniently, the offset blade is displaced from the stationary blade so that the two blades are in generally spaced, parallel relationship when in cocked position to facilitate feeding of a crimped tape there-between. This provides maximum space between the blades, but the blades occupy less space than they would if they diverged outwardly in typical scissors arrangement. Advantageously, the latch is pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the blade axis to permit release thereof when the tap-roll support moves away from the cutter, such as when the tape is stripped from the roll. Of course, this tape-cutoff mechanism may be used to sever a flat strip as Well.

Additional novel features of this invention will become apparent from thte description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary side-elevation of the tape-cutoff mechanism of this invention, with parts broken away for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the tap-cutoff mechanism of FIG. 1 showing the knife blade in cocked position with a piece of crimped tape fed between the offset fixed and pivoted blades;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation, similar to FIG. 2, but showing the knife blade in released position; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken along line 44 of FIG. 2, showing further details of the knife and catch mechanism.

Description of the preferred embodiment In accordance with this invention, the knife mechanism disclosed herein is adapted for use on a tape dispenser having a frame 10 which may have a transversely extending flange 11 to which the knife mechanism K. is attached as by screws 12 extending through longitudinal slots 13 in plate 14, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. A fixed cutter blade 15 is provided at the lower edge of plate 14, and an offset movable knife 16 is pivoted intermediate its ends on a shaft 17 extending from plate 14 and through an opening (not shown) in flange 18. Knife blade 16 is biased toward plate 14 to assure frictional engagement with fixed blade 15 when the blade is activated. This is accomplished by coil spring 19 mounted on shaft 17, the outer end of spring 19 bearing against a washer 21 which is held in place by a retainer 22, as shown.

In cocked position, pivoted blade 16 is positioned below fixed blade 15 and generally parallel thereto, as shown in FIG. 2, so that a crimped or folded tape 23, which may be pressure sensitive, is adapted to extend therebetween. By mounting the blades so that they are generally parallel when cocked, maximum space is provided for feeding the tape, but the blades taken up minimum space in that the ends thereof do not diverse out- Wardly, as in the conventional scissor arrangement. Movable knife 16 is biased to a cutting position by means of the coil spring 24 having one end attached to a flange 25, at the end of knife 16 at the other end engaging an outwardly turned flange 26 extending from arm 27 of plate 14. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, spring 24 provides the dual function of pivoting blade 16 and urging it into cutting engagement with fixed blade 15.

The knife is held in cocked position by an extension arm 28 adapted to be engaged by catch C which includes an arm 29 pivoted on a shaft 30 extendin from a U- shaped flange 31 on the side of plate 14, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. The lower end of arm 29 has a notch or recess 32 for receiving latch or arm 28 and supporting it on lip 33, when in cocked position. The upper end of arm 29 terminates in a generally U-shaped bracket 34 having a transverse pivot pin 35 extending therethrough.

A catch release arm 36 is attached to the upper end of catch C by means of an adjustment screw 37 extending through flange 38 and pivot pin 35. Flange 38 is held against the head of adjustment screw by coil spring 39 therearound. The opposite end of arm 36 terminates in a diagonal flange 40 to which is attached a coil spring 41 having its opposite end anchored to a suitable member, such as the tape-roll support plate 42 shown only gragmentarily in FIG. I, normally urging catch C in a counterclockwise direction about shaft 30.

When it is desired to release the knife catch C, tape-roll support 42 moves relatively to frame 10, such as to the right as viewed in FIG. 1, applying a force to arm 36 through a shaft 43 extending through a slot 44 in arm 36, and against the force exerted by spring 41. Shaft 43 is held in position by washer 45 attached to the outer end thereof, as shown. Slot 44 permits tape-roll support 42 to move relative to arm 36 and catch C to dispense a length of tape, as disclosed in commonly assigned copending US. application Ser. No. 662,686, filed Aug. 23, 1967. Roller 43 then engages shoulder 46 causing arm 29 to pivot about pin 30 so that arm 28 drops off of lip 33 and the cutter blade 16, under the influence of coil spring 24, moves in a scissors action past fixed blade 15 in traveling point contact toward the pivot to the position shown in FIG. 3, thereby severing tape 23. Frame 10 is moved to the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, by plate 42 causing flange 40 of catch release arm 36 to ride up on pin 47, which is mounted on a stationary support 48 so that the slot extension 49 permits arm 36 to move to the left under the influence of spring 41 and pivot catch C in a counterclockwise direction. The above-described movement of tape-roll support plate 42 may come about when tape is being stripped from a roll, as when the leading edge of the tape is held by an applicator (not shown) against an article to be spliced while the roll is moved away therefrom.

Advantageously, a cocking lever 50 is provided for recocking the knife which is pivotally mounted on a shaft 51 attached to frame 10 having a downwardly extending arm which is biased in a counterclockwise direction by spring 52 so that the forwardly extending arm 53 of the lever is normally urged out of engagement with a knife mechanism K, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. When it is desired to recock knife blade 16, however, a force may be exerted by suitable means (not shown) against the lower end of cocking lever 50 so that a curved lip 54 on the forward end of arm 53 engages a pin 55 attached to the backside of arm 28 so that knife 16 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction about shaft 17, as viewed in FIG. 2. As arm 28 is raised upwardly, it will engage a cam surface 56 on the end of lip 33, causing catch C to be pivoted in a clockwise direction about shaft 30 until it clears the lip and is locked into recess 32.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the novel features of this invention have been fulfilled to a marked degree. A simple tape-cutoff mechanism has been provided for particular use in cutting crimped or folded tape wherein the tape is adapted to be fed between laterally offset stationary and pivoted blades which are generally parallel in the cocked position to provide maximum room for feeding the tape and yet occupy a minimum amount of space. Conveniently, the traveling point contact of the blades during cutting moves toward the pivot axis of the blades. This cutter is of simple construction wherein a latch for the blade is pivoted on an axis perpendicular to the knife-blade axis to facilitate releasing the knife during movement of the tape-roll support away from the cutter mechanism but after a length of tape has been stripped from the roll. It will be understood that even though this novel cutter is particularly adapted for use with a crimped tape or strip, that it may be utilized with a flat sheet, tape, strip, web or the like.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be eflected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A severing device for strip or sheet material fed from a supply, comprising:

a first member having a cutting edge;

a second member pivotally mounted about an axis for scissors-like movement relative to said first member from a cocked position spaced from said first member, said second member having a shearing surface for engaging said cutting edge in traveling point contact therewith to cut said material when fed between said members;

means cooperant with said second member for pivotally moving said second member about said axis by exerting a force thereon to effect traveling point contact of said shearing surface with said cutting edge;

release means movably mounted for selective engagement with the second member to hold said second member in said cocked position against movement by said pivotally moving means; and

a support for a supply of said material, said support being mounted for relative movement with respect to said first and second members and cooperant with said release means for releasing said second member upon a predetermined movement of said support relative to said first and second members.

2. A severing device, as set forth in claim 1, further including:

a link connected to one of said release means and said support and extending toward the other of said release means and said support;

means on said link engageable with the other of said release means and said support at the end of said predetermined movement so that said link moves said release means out of engagement with said second member.

3. A severing device, as set forth in claim 1, further including resilient means for urging said release means into engagement with said second member.

4. A severing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the shearing surface of said second member is laterally displaced from said cutting edge when said second member is in said cocked position so that a crimped strip may be fed therebetween.

5. A severing device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said cutting edge and said shearing surface are generally parallel to each other when said second member is in 60 cocked position.

6. A severing device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said shearing surface is engagable with said cutting edge in traveling point contact in a direction toward said axis.

7. A severing device, as set forth in claim 3, further including:

a cocking lever engagable with said second member to move said second member about said axis against the force of said moving means to saidcocked position; and

a cam surface on said release means contactable by said second member during movement of said second member to said cocked position to move said release means against the force of said resilient means until said second member is engagable by said release means when said second member is in said cocked position.

8. A severing device, as set forth in claim 7, further including means on said cocking lever engagable with said second member to move said second member to said cocked position.

9. A severing device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second member is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends with said shearing surface on one side of said axis and said release means engagable with said second member on the other side of said axis.

10. A severing device, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said moving means is connected to an end of said second member adjacent said shearing surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,894,379 1/1933 Link 83585 X 2,642,936 6/ 1953 Semler 83-587 X 5 2,649,655 8/1953 Flaws 83-648 X 3,063,322 11/1962 Thomas 83587 3,177,750 4/ 1965 Amemiya 83-587 X 10 WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

